The Switch
by ViviV
Summary: In their 6th year, Draco and Hermione switch bodies with Polyjuice Potion, but something went wrong and now they can't switch back. Watch Draco deal with people asking him academic questions all the time while Hermione struggles to stay on her broomstick as Slytherin Quidditch Captain. They started off as enemies, but a look into each other's lives might make them friends, or more.
1. Draco's Plan

_Premise__: Lord Voldemort was defeated after he tried to kill Harry when he was one year old. Thus, the Malfoys still have a high social status, which makes Draco Malfoy both arrogant and self-conceited. Dumbledore had died a natural death, and Severus Snape had replaced him as Headmaster of Hogwarts. Snape also teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts, while Horace Slughorn takes over Potions. Slytherin Prefects are Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy while Gryffindor Prefects are Hermione Granger and Harry Potter._

_Pairings (mutual): Draco/Hermione; Ron/Lavender (briefly); Harry/Ginny_

_Pairings (unreciprocated): Ron/Hermione; Cormac/Hermione; Pansy/Draco; Astoria/Draco_

_Locations of Story: Hogwarts; Hogsmeade; Malfoy Manor; Granger House; The Burrow; Gringotts; Ministry of Magic_

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**Chapter 1. Draco's Plan**  
"Hm…" Horace Slughorn looked down at his attendance sheet, "I'm sorry, boys, but I don't see a Crabbe or Goyle on here. Are you sure you both received 'Exceeds Expectations' in your O.W.L.s?"

"Sir," Draco Malfoy said hurriedly in a winning voice as he pushed through the two stupid, gorilla-like boys in front of him, "Sir, I was hoping my friends could stay for your very first lesson. I believe you know my father, Professor? Both he and my mother had you as their Potions master and they said you were the best Professor they ever had."

"Oh, did they now?" Slughorn's chest swelled with pride, "Well… I suppose it wouldn't hurt for interested students to receive a lesson…"

"No, Professor." Malfoy agreed, his eyes mischievous, "They will just stay in the back with me if that's alright with you?"

"Yes, yes, very well." Slughorn waved a pudgy hand at them and returned to the front of the classroom, looking very impressed with himself, "Now then, I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

He indicated the cauldron nearest the Slytherin table.

"Why are we here?" Asked Crabbe stupidly, angrily poking the cauldron in front of him with his wand, "I could be in the Great Hall right now. They're serving pudding."

"I wanna go too." Goyle frowned.

"Shut up, you two." Malfoy snarled in a low voice, the sycophantic manner leaving his face immediately after he had gotten his way with Slughorn, "Don't you know what he's going to show us?"

"Some boring potion?"

"No, you idiot. Every year Slughorn offers the best student in his sixth-year-class a small veil of Felix Felicis." Malfoy smirked, looking at the small black cauldron on Slughorn's desk, where the liquid inside was pure gold and leaping around joyfully.

"Who?" Asked Goyle.

Malfoy felt deeply annoyed now, "It's liquid luck, okay? It makes you lucky."

Crabbe now looked interested as well, "How does a person make you lucky?"

"Felix Felicis is the _name_ of the potion, Crabbe." Malfoy growled, "Seriously, how much stupider can you get?"

Crabbe looked offended, which, unfortunately, made his face look even stupider than usual, "Well, _Draco_. It's not like you're gonna win this either. Not with the Mudblood here." He jerked his head towards Hermione Granger at the Gryffindor table, who was excitedly explaining the name and effects of each potion.

"It's Polyjuice Potion, sir," she said, referring to the slow-bubbling, mud-like substance in the cauldron. "It changes you into someone else for an hour!"

"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here … yes, my dear?" said Slughorn, now looking slightly bemused, as Hermione's hand punched the air again.

"It's Amortentia!"

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, who was looking mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" said Hermione.

"Well, well, take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor, Miss Granger," said Slughorn genially.

Malfoy looked away from the bushy haired girl and back to Crabbe and Goyle, "Who said anything about winning it?" He asked quietly, the corners of his mouth twitching into a small grin, "We're going to _steal _it."

"Won't he notice if we take the cauldron?" Goyle asked skeptically.

"Honestly, Goyle, can you please use that thing in you head that's called a brain?" Malfoy sounded exasperated, "We're going to steal _some_ of it. Understand now?"

"…Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis," Slughorn was saying. "Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed … at least until the effects wear off. And that is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."

There was silence in which every bubble and gurgle of the surrounding potions seemed magnified tenfold.

"So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win my fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

There was a scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons toward them and some loud clunks as people began adding weights to their scales, but nobody spoke. The concentration within the room was almost tangible.

Malfoy, however, did not bother to open his book, but continued to look even more malicious. He huddled Crabbe and Goyle together and spoke in a low voice so only they could hear, "I just had a better idea," He whispered, "Nick some of that Polyjuice Potion too. If we can transform into Potty, Weasel, and Mudblood; along with the effect of that liquid luck, we can probably get them expelled."

The three of them sniggered over the thoughts of that quietly.

"When class ends, I'll distract Slughorn while you two get the potions. Got it?"

They both nodded fervently.

"Good." Malfoy straightened up again, now completely unable to hide his smirk, "I'm going to grab some of that bushy twigs off Granger's head."

Accompanied by the silent laughter of Crabbe, he walked over to the Gryffindor table, pretending to borrow a sopophorous bean. Hermione Granger was bent over her book, reading the instructions with her eyes wide with elation.

Bumping into her on purpose, Malfoy grabbed a strand of her hair and pulled a few out, resulting in a gasp of pain from Hermione.

"Oh, sorry, Granger." He said, "Didn't see you there."

"You did that on purpose!" Ron Weasley rounded on him furiously, pulling for his wand.

"I wish I did." Malfoy replied in a lazy voice, "But I think it was that red hair of yours practically blinding me that made me lose my balance."

"You – !"

"Boys, boys, not fighting, are we?" Slughorn called from the front.

"No, sir." Malfoy said loudly, "Just admiring Grange – Hermione's potion." And he hurried back to his table with the hair securely in his hands.

It came to no one's surprise that when class ended, only Hermione's attempt at the Draught of Living Dead was closest to the book's description. Hair now bushier than ever, she weakly accepted the prize from Slughorn's hands and smiled rather guiltily at the enthusiastic applause from Harry Potter and Ron Wealsey.

"Well done, all you of!" Slughorn boomed happily, now collecting his things on the table as he dismissed the class.

Students began packing up all the ingredients and equipment, but Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pretended to pack exceedingly slow to wait out the current students. When finally it was time for Slughorn to leave the classroom, Malfoy eagerly picked up Slughorn's briefcase for him.

"Professor, let me walk you to your office." He said, offering what seemed like a genuine smile.

"Oh, no need, m'boy." Slughorn clapped him on the back.

"I insist, Professor." Malfoy said even more persistently, "It's the least I can do after you let my friends stay for the class. They were just saying how wonderful it was. And those potions you showed us, you brewed all of them, didn't you, Sir? I don't think many others could have done it."

"Now, now, Draco." Slughorn's face had broken into a big smile, and there was a bounce in his steps now, "Don't you go saying that to your old Potions Professor. But I must admit, some of it was _incredibly_ difficult. Like Amortentia. You see, all the ingredients have to be stewed beforehand, and there are almost a hundred ingredients in it, mind you! Now the stirring is the tricky part…"

Malfoy lost interest after the first few seconds. Instead, he nodded encouragingly and said "Yeah, definitely" to keep Slughorn happy until they reached his office. When Slughorn was done telling Malfoy about how hard the potions were, he seemed to have completely forgotten that those mentioned potions were still left in the classroom, unattended.

Walking as quickly as he could without running, Malfoy left Slughorn's office and made swiftly to the Slytherin common room. He passed through several corridors before he reached a bare, damp stonewall. "_Basilisk._" He said the password quickly, and the concealed door swung open to admit him.

Malfoy walked over to the underground common room and found Crabbe and Goyle huddled in a corner, talking in whispers. He strode over hastily, pushing a first-year out of his way while doing so.

"So?" He asked as he flopped down on the armchair beside them, "Did you get it?"

"Yeah," Grunted Goyle, "Got all of 'em." He said happily and showed Malfoy three veils of different potions.

"What's that one?" Malfoy raised his eyebrow at the veil emitting a strange, seductive smell, "Wait…I know what it is. What did you take the love potion for?"

"You said take everything, didn't you?"

"Just the Polyjuice Potion and Felix – Never mind." Malfoy rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance, "Good enough. Did you get hairs?"

Crabbe looked at him, dumbfounded, "No."

Malfoy sighed again and snatched the veils away from them, "Doesn't matter." He seemed to be trying to convince himself rather than them, "One of us can transform into Granger and get hairs off Potter and Weasley back in Gryffindor." Both of them stared at him blankly. "_Well?_" Malfoy asked loudly at the absence of replies.

"Oh…yeah." Goyle nodded. Apparently he didn't know he was supposed to agree. Crabbe nodded as well, following his lead.

"Who's it going to be, then?" Malfoy asked, his cold grey eyes travelling to Crabbe and Goyle. Both of them looked uneasy at the question and avoided his gaze.

"Whatever." Malfoy grumbled, "Might as well be me. Neither of you would be able to pull it off anyway."

They both looked happy with the arrangements.

"Let's see…" Malfoy smirked, "Crabbe, you be scar-face. Goyle, you can be the little blood-traitor."

"Why does he get to be Potter?" Goyle groaned a little too loudly, "I wanna be Potter. I wanna screw up his Quidditch Team."

"Shut up!" Malfoy said briskly, because Blaise Zabini was close by and eyeing them curiously. He couldn't risk getting overheard – not even with Slytherins.

A babble of talks broke over as the third-years returned from their first Divination class. They no longer had privacy. Frowning, Malfoy mentioned for Crabbe and Goyle to follow him and headed out of the common room, the potions hidden securely under his robes. "You two go find Granger." He muttered, very used to taking charge in the trio, "Stun her or something and stuff her in the Room of Requirement so I don't run into her after I change. We only have an hour, so every minute counts. I'll wait for you upstairs, in the prefect's bathroom. Got it?"

They nodded and scurried off, looking very excited. Malfoy's face was so smug that even other students in the passageway looked at him in curiosity, wondering what he was so satisfied about.

"What are you looking at?" He yelled to a couple of second-year Hufflepuffs, "Get to your classes! I'm a prefect." They squealed and ran out of his way.

As Malfoy made his way to the prefect's bathroom, countless ways of getting Potter and his friends expelled flowed before him. It would have to be something big…and something so bad that not even the teachers can turn a blind eye. It shouldn't be difficult, though, given the fact that the Headmaster was Severus Snape, and Potter was his least favorite student.

He made sure the corridor was deserted before slipping into the prefect's bathroom, where spare robes and cloaks were already waiting for him to use. He looked around approvingly and reached for a golden goblet on the shelf. Carefully pouring the bubbling Polyjuice Potion inside, he dropped a few hairs inside. It immediately turned into a pale lilac color. Malfoy sniffed it dubiously, hoping it didn't taste as bad as it smelled.

Ten long minutes passed before there was a sharp knock on the door and Crabbe and Goyle came inside with Hermione Granger in the middle, both of them now covered in angry red boils.

Malfoy groaned loudly and closed the door behind them, locking it, "What did you bring her here for?"

"We couldn't get the Room of Requirement to open." Goyle said.

"That's just great. And what's with the boils? Now you two wouldn't be able to take the potion even if I get the hairs."

"She shot a bunch of spells at us when we cornered her in the girls' bathroom." Crabbe said angrily as one of his boils popped. "Why can't we go too?" He added.

Malfoy stepped back apprehensively and wrinkled his nose. "Because, Crabbe, you're not supposed to be under the influence of any other spell before the Polyjuice Potion." His gaze moved to Hermione Granger, "What did you do with her anyway?"

"Put the Imperius Curse on her." Goyle grunted.

Malfoy looked dubious, "You sure you know how to do that?" He waved his hand in front of Hermione's face, but she stood there blankly, her eyes completely empty. However, she swayed from time from time, as if finding it hard to stand.

"Used to practice on our maid all the time." Goyle snorted proudly, "Made her clean the house without magic."

"Good one." Crabbe chortled.

Malfoy was too preoccupied to be amused. "Fine. Just lock her in there." He gestured to one of the many changing rooms.

He then took a deep breath and tipped the goblet into his mouth to swallow the potion. As soon as the thick liquid poured down his throat, he coughed and spluttered. He had not expected it to burn. His body started to change and he fell to all fours.

"What's wrong with him?" Goyle demanded, backing away.

Buy Goyle's voice seemed a mile away. Malfoy could feel his hair thickening and lengthening, and his hands and feet were getter smaller by the second.

"He's _shrinking_! He's – "

And then it was done.

Malfoy lied there panting for a few seconds before climbing back up again. There was a huge cloud of very bushy hair in his face, clouding his vision. He grunted as he attempted to sweep it away from his eyes.

Both Crabbe and Goyle were standing there, gaping at him stupidly, the red boils on their faces completely forgotten.

"Well, don't just stand there! Hand me some smaller robes!" Malfoy said, but out came Hermione's voice, shriller than usual. He blinked, amazing even himself.

Goyle handed him another set of robes and he stripped his off and put it on. He never realized how short Hermione was until he saw Crabbe towering over him.

"This is _bizarre!_" Crabbe ogled at him, reaching out a stubby finger to poke him in the cheek, "You look just like her!"

"Well, no shit." Malfoy scowled, batting his hand away roughly. "Ok, I can't waste any more time. Hand me the Felix Felicis, Crabbe. Not that one - the other one!" When Crabbe passed over the small bottle of gold liquid, Malfoy impatiently unscrewed it and took a huge mouthful. He was a bit put out to realize that no special sensation swept over him, but he didn't have time to wonder why. 3 of his precious minutes had already gone.

"You two keep an eye on her until I get back. And lock the door behind me."

They nodded obediently. The real Hermione Granger swayed again, her eyes unfocused. She seemed to have no idea that another Hermione stood right before her.

Malfoy smirked at the sight of her and made for the door; he was so gleeful with his scheme that he didn't even feel a small tinge of disappointment that Crabbe and Goyle couldn't come with him. Out of all the times that the Mudblood had embarrassed him, or beaten him in an exam… When they switch back, she's going to wish she'd never meet him.

"What are you gonna do?" Goyle called after him.

"You'll see." Malfoy said mysteriously, pulling the door closed behind him.

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_Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this!_


	2. Backfire

**Chapter 2 Backfire**

Malfoy almost laughed out loud as he sped through the corridors, brushing through other students. He had big plans for being Hermione Granger, and he was almost giddy in carrying them out. Yet before he could even do the slightest damage, someone behind him began calling her name.

"Hermione! Hermione!"

It took him a few seconds to comprehend that he was Hermione now, and he turned around to look at the source of the voice. Neville Longbottom, the excuse of a wizard from Gryffindor, was running to catch up with him.

Malfoy glared at him in disgust, "What is it, Longbottom?"

Neville stopped abruptly and his eyes widened in surprise. The look of hurt crept up his face, and it was a while before he found his voice again, "Erm… You weren't in Charms today, and Professor Flitwick gave me your homework." He handed over a stack of parchment, sounding unsure.

"Why don't you keep it?" Malfoy said, a smirk creeping up his mouth.

"S-Sorry?"

"I'm sure you could use the extra work." Malfoy said in Hermione's kind voice, though it sounded malicious and unsympathetic, "How else are you ever going to pass, right?" Laughing at the shocked look on Neville's face, Malfoy left him standing there with the parchment still in his hands.

The more he walked, the more light-hearted he felt. Maybe it was the Felix Felicis, but he immediately caught sight of a group of Gryffindors that could lead him to their common room. Following the bunch of dim-witted Gryffindors, Malfoy pursued to curse anyone who was in his way. With a lazy flip of his wand, he caused a fourth-year Ravenclaw to get a heavy nosebleed. Smirking at her furious expression, he walked on.

The Gryffindors finally led him to a portrait with a fat lady on it.

"_Mimblewimble_." One of the girls in front said, and the portrait swung open to reveal an entrance into the Gryffindor common room.

"Well," Malfoy said quietly to the lady in the portrait after the girls had went through, "You could do with some weight loss."

"I beg you pardon!" She gasped at him, but he had already climbed in.

Intrigued by the sight in front of him, Malfoy straightened up. But before he could take a look around, an attractive Weasley girl flung herself at him, grabbing his hand in a rush, "Oh, Hermione, thank God you're here." She said breathlessly, "I have Charms class in an hour and I still can't master Cheering Charms, can you help me?"

Malfoy pulled his hand back, repelled by her touch. It took him a moment to think of her name, "Look, Jenny – "

"Ginny." The girl corrected suspiciously.

"Whatever." Malfoy said, "I'm a little busy right now, but I suggest you practice with Longbottom. He might need a little cheer-me-up: I think he _just _realized that he had no brains."

"What's the matter with you? That's not funny." Jennie, or Genie, or whatever her name was, said coolly and looked at him in hostility.

"Well, I think it is." Malfoy drawled lazily, "And I think it's impolite for you not to laugh. So on second thoughts, yeah, I _will_ help you with Cheering Charms." He waved his wand at her, purposely overdoing the charm.

The Weasley girl burst into hysterical laughter and the entire common room stared at them. She looked at him angrily, but the laughter wouldn't stop. It was a very entertaining sight: the top part of her face was livid with anger, but the bottom part cannot stop laughing. Finally, she climbed out of the portrait hole and ran down the corridor, no doubt towards the Hospital Wing. Malfoy was shaking with laughter as her frantic giggles drifted away.

When he could finally push himself up to a standing position, he looked at his watch: 15 minutes had passed. This immediately sobered him up. He didn't have time for frivolous jokes; he had a task at hand.

Some people in the common room were still looking at him, but most had gone back to their usual business. He found the staircase up to the dormitory and walked over to it. There were two in total, and he guessed that one of them was the girls' and one was the boys'. Taking a wild chance, he took the one to the left.

"Hermione!" Someone called.

Malfoy's steps faltered and he whirled around angrily. It was one of the Gryffindor sixth years whose first name he couldn't remember. Something Finnigan.

"That's… that's the boys' dormitory." Something Finnigan said, embarrassed.

A sneer curled up on Malfoy's lips, "Well, you go up there, don't you? And you seem like less of a guy than I am." And he took a second to see how red Finnigan's face would go before going up the stairs again.

When he finally made his way to the top, he saw five four-poster-beds with long drapes around them. Three of them were unoccupied, but on the other two sat Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Malfoy's smirk widened at them.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, climbing up from the bed so quickly that he almost lost his footing, "What are you doing up here?"

"Oh, you know," Malfoy waved a hand dismissively, "Just trying to find you guys." And he walked around the room aimlessly, ignoring the thunderstruck look on their faces. He saw Potter's suitcase propped open in a corner and inconspicuously dropped his golden wrist-watch inside. Worst comes to worst, he can still frame Potter for stealing his watch.

"Is there something wrong?" Harry asked, concerned.

Malfoy took a few seconds to force his expression to a solemn look instead of his previous gleeful one, "There's something you have to know." He said as gravely as he could.

"What?" Asked Ron.

"I can't explain. I have to show you." Malfoy said somberly, hoping the severity of his voice would mitigate the questions they were going to ask.

Harry and Ron exchanged a look of unease. However suspicious they were though, they both scurried to put on cloaks and didn't ask him to clarify. Within seconds, they were standing in front of him.

"Lead the way." Ron said simply.

That had been easier than he had anticipated. Surprised but pleased, Malfoy led them out of the boys' dormitory and out of the Gryffindor common room. His eyes were dancing with a wild, devilish look. Thanks to Potter and Weasley having pea-sized brains, this was going to be even more simple than it already was. They had followed him without questions or doubts, the pair of morons. No wonder they were such good friends.

"Why are we heading to the Forbidden Forest?" Harry said to Ron, completely bewildered as Malfoy walked faster and faster across the school grounds.

"Dunno… I guess we'll see. It better not be Grawp, though." Ron replied nervously.

"Grawp?" Malfoy asked tersely.

"Yeah, Hagrid didn't make you promise to babysit or something, did he?" Ron gave a fidgety laugh that sounded more like a grimace, as if the thought of that would kill him.

"Well…maybe…" Thinking that the best way to find out about Grawp was to play along, Malfoy feigned a tint of furtiveness in his tone.

Ron's entire face froze, "No way, Hermione. If we get too close, he'll probably stomp us to death!"

Malfoy was feeling very interested as to who this "Grawp" was. If he could indeed stamp people to death, then he definitely doesn't need a babysitter. And even if he did, what was the relationship between Grawp and Hagrid, that awful oaf?

Before he could make further inquiries, they had reached the edge of the woods. Biting back his additional questions, Malfoy turned to face Harry and Ron, "I have to go in first." He invented, as though this all made perfect sense, "But when I send red sparks up, you two come find me."

They both looked at him anxiously but nodded all the same.

Malfoy turned away quickly to hide his sneer. This was all just _too_ easy. It must be the Felix Felicis helping him. Why else would they trust him so blindly?

As he trudged along the wild trees and bushes, Malfoy pulled out his wand and raised it in front of him like a sword. He didn't want to risk getting attacked by the foul creatures that lived in here.

"_Incendio_." When he finally reached a clearing not far from the edge, Malfoy prudently aimed the orange red flames at a nearby bush. Carefully, he traced his wand in a circle, setting everything in sight on fire. It didn't take long for the dark smoke to be almost insufferable, and he backed away to watch his burning masterpiece.

Grinning wickedly, he sent up three jets of red sparks and waited. He had thought of the idea as soon as he changed into Hermione Granger. In order to get the trio expelled, he had to do something abominable, and the destruction of school property would be just that. Malfoy first thought of the Whomping Willow, but was timorous that it might strike him with its many branches. Demolition of classrooms didn't seem that impressive either – McGonagall and Flitwick could probably fix it in a second. Trying to do harm within the castle seemed foolish and ludicrous. But damage outside the castle grounds, however…

The Forbidden Forest appeared to be the perfect option: it was the home to many magical creatures, not to mention the classroom for Hagrid's "teaching". It was also a respected and preserved capital of the school. An unfixable impairment to it, with the three culprits caught red-handed, would surely get all of them expelled.

Rushed footsteps told him that Potter and Weasley had found him.

"Hermione, what happened?" Ron panted, coming over to drag him from harm protectively.

Malfoy stiffened for a second. He hadn't known that Weasley fancied Granger. But then again, what better combination is there besides a blood-traitor and his Mudblood? "Erm…wand malfunction." He shrugged.

"_Aguamenti!_" Harry said immediately, pointing a stream of water at the roaring flames, "Quick, Ron, help me!"

"_Aguamenti!_" Ron repeated, and the two of them stood on either side of him, blocking him from the flames, as if scared that he might get hurt.

"_What in the name of Merlin is going on here?_" A sharp, stern voice demanded.

All three of them faltered under McGonagall's deathly gaze. Malfoy looked away, afraid that she might recognize him for who he really was. He had counted on this happening, though. The red sparks and the smoke from the flames were bound to attract at least one Professor, but he had hoped that it would be Snape.

McGonagall raised her wand, and a wave much like the one seen during a boisterous storm at the sea came crashing from the sky, instantly washing out all the remaining fires licking the sky.

"Explain." She said in quiet anger, her nostrils flaring.

"Professor, Hermione's wand malfunctioned." Harry said at once, "It wasn't her fault."

"And what were you doing in the forest in the first place?" She asked as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Malfoy opened his mouth but was cut off by Ron's hasty explanation.

"We brought her along." Ron said quickly, "We wanted help with – with – the Fire-Making Spell in Charms class."

McGonagall looked furious, "_And you thought making fire in the woods would be a good idea?_"

None of them said anything.

McGonagall put her want away and stared at them, "The Forbidden Forest is a treasured estate of the school. You should feel lucky I am not expelling you, since I don't have that authority. But eighty points will be taken from Gryffindor, and you three will have detentions every Friday until Halloween."

"But Professor – "

"Be glad it's not suspension, Potter." She strode away with her cloak whipping at her heels.

As soon as she was out of earshot, both of them wheeled on Malfoy.

"What the hell happened?"

"What were you _doing_, Hermione?"

"Well, like I said," Malfoy said crossly, heading back to the castle as well, "Wand malfunction."

He could see Potter and Weasley exchange looks behind his back, but he didn't have much time. He had put his watch in Potter's luggage so he didn't know precisely how many minutes he had before he would change back, but it wouldn't be long. He wasted too much time in that forest accomplishing nothing.

Malfoy scowled and broke into a run, leaving the other two behind. Well, it wasn't nothing. At least they would get detention. And he even managed to scrape eighty points off Gryffindor when it was only the first week of school.

"Hermione?" Ron called.

"I have to get to class!" Malfoy said over his shoulder, and he ran quicker still until both Harry and Ron were just distant dots to him. This had not worked the way he wanted it to at all. He blamed Slughorn a little – the Felix Felicis was nowhere as good as he set it out to be. He blamed Crabbe and Goyle too – if they weren't so stupid to get themselves hexed by the Mudblood, they could have helped him with the arson. Most of all, he blamed Potter and Weasley. He had not expected them to protect Granger like they did.

But it didn't matter. He had enough Polyjuice Potion for one more transformation. Next time, he would meticulously plan a strategy and carry it out flawlessly. Next time, he will make _sure_ those three never set foot in Hogwarts again.

Gasping for breath, Malfoy made it to the prefect's bathroom. Crabbe and Goyle were standing guard at the door. They both gaped as they saw him, probably forgetting that he looked like Hermione again.

"It's me." Malfoy hissed, "Let me in, I don't have much time!"

They realized who he was and parted to let him through.

"Go back to the common room, it will look suspicious if we exited with Granger!" He said to them.

"What happened?" Goyle asked eagerly, "Is she expelled now?"

"I'll tell you later." Malfoy said bitterly. Irritated, he closed the bathroom door and locked it behind him. The clock on the wall indicated that he had less than a minute. Hastily, he locked himself in a changing room and waited for the transformation. From the bottom of the stall, he could see the real Hermione Granger's feet in the neighboring stall. She looked awfully still.

Probably less than twenty seconds now. Malfoy clutched his side and panted. He supposed it was quite lucky that he got back in time. Maybe the Felix Felicis wasn't a complete waste. He pushed the bushy hair out of his face for the millionth time – how Granger managed to see through this jungle of hair was beyond him. He checked the clock again. The hand had gone over 12, but no transformation took place.

Malfoy felt panic rise within him as he double-checked the time. It had definitely been more than an hour. What was the holdup?

He looked down at his hands; they were still tiny, feminine, and slender. And his hair showed no sign of shooting back into his skull.

For the first time since Malfoy took the Polyjuice Potion, he felt fear. This was just supposed to be a practical joke. If the teachers in the school found out about this, _he_ would be expelled. And if he can't change back to who he was, he was bound to go to the Hospital Wing, or worse, St Mungos. Stealing illegal potions, impersonating another student, setting the forest on fire… He didn't know if those charges qualified for a sentence in Azkaban.

Malfoy looked up at the clock. Ten minutes had passed after the hour. Unnerved by the lack of transformation, he walked out of the changing room and paced around the sinks in the bathroom. He caught sight of himself in the mirror and saw Hermione Granger's kind brown eyes staring back at him, her brows knitted together in concentration. The sight of that made him even more anxious, and he tore his gaze away.

It must have been the Felix Felicis. He shouldn't have taken the two potions together, and that was why he couldn't change back. But then did that mean he had to look like her _forever_? There must be an antidote somewhere. But if there were anyone in this school (other than the Professors) that could make an antidote like this one, it would be Hermione Granger.

His heart sank. Once the Imperius Curse is lifted off her, she will have no intention of helping him in any way. In fact, she might just get him expelled before he could even ask for help.

Unless…

Malfoy's cold eyes lit up for a second. Suddenly the bushy hair didn't seem too bothersome. A second plan formed itself in his mind, like a web slowly sewing itself together. It was risky, but it was also feasible. And given his current condition, there really wasn't much choice. If either him or Hermione goes missing for any longer, people will start to look for them, and then it won't be long until someone realizes something fishy.

Making up his mind at last, Malfoy took out his wand and pointed it at the locked changing room that contained the real Hermione, "_Alohomora_."

The door sprang open to reveal her empty face.

"_Imperio._" He flicked his wand at her.

Obediently, she walked towards where the potions were set down. Malfoy focused to keep his wand steady; he had never performed the Imperius Curse before. He hoped the use of the curse wouldn't be penalized. It was, after all, "unforgivable". Gradually, Malfoy directed Hermione to the golden goblet he used earlier. Luckily, there were some of his white blond hairs stuck to the robes he was wearing previously. He dropped a few into the remaining Polyjuice Potion, where it hissed and spluttered and turned into a color of brilliant chrome.

Malfoy watched in anticipation as Hermione tipped the goblet back into her mouth, her glassy eyes still unseeing.

If he couldn't change back, he'll make sure she was in the same boat with him.

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_Thanks for your time!_


	3. And Then She Wakes

**Chapter 3 And Then She Wakes**

_Drink the Felix Felicis… Drink the Felix Felicis…_

The voice in Hermione Granger's head was saying in a commanding way.

_Why?_ She asked it, though her hand had obediently closed upon the tiny veil that contained the golden liquid.

_Drink it!_

Unable to control herself, Hermione felt a gulp of liquid roll down her throat. And suddenly the blank feeling inside was gone and the world straightened itself in front of her eyes.

Hermione gasped as she looked around at her surroundings. She appeared to be in a Prefects' bathroom, and someone was standing right in front of her. Someone that looked awfully like…_herself?_

The other Hermione had her wand raised and was looking at her apprehensively.

"W-Who – ?" Hermione tried to say but stopped herself when she heard her voice. It was strange and deep, and not her own.

"Look, just calm down." The other Hermione drawled in an awfully familiar tone that sounded annoyed and condescending.

Hermione whipped her head around to look at her reflection in the mirror. Draco Malfoy's pale face stared back at her, his expression horrified. It took her a mere second to understand the situation.

"_You rotten, foul bast_ – "

"Yeah, yeah." The other Hermione cut her off uninterestedly, "As you can see, Granger, something went wrong. Can you fix it or not?"

Hermione was so angry that she felt like she was out of breath from running a marathon. Now she understood why Malfoy made her drink the Felix Felicis – she would have to think of a way to change them back to their original selves.

"Even if I can, I wouldn't help you." She said coldly, and winced at the sound of Malfoy's voice escaping her mouth. "I'm going straight to the Headmaster about what you've done, and you can say goodbye to your Hogwarts education."

He didn't look very panicky at her response. She could see her own face glaring back at her, the expression impassionate.

"Oh, I don't think you'll do that." Malfoy said quietly, "Unless you want me to talk to authorities in the Ministry about Grawp. My Father's very influential with the Minister, you know. "

Hermione's heart jumped into her throat, and she tried very hard to keep her new face calm and void of any emotions, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her, "Hagrid's little… _friend_? Doesn't ring a bell?"

"No." She lied firmly.

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I alert Professor Snape about his existence."

Hermione swallowed. Her throat felt scratchy and dry. How did he know about Grawp? Had he seen him? Had he told anyone else? She bit her lower lip nervously as she imagined what would happen to Hagrid if the Ministry found out that he had been keeping an illegal giant in the Forbidden Forest. What if they decide to execute Grawp because they found him to be a danger to the students? It would be Buckbeak all over again, and she didn't think Hagrid would ever get over it if his only living family had died. Had there been previous cases of executed giants though? She would have to consult the books in the library for that…

"So it's settled." Malfoy said languidly when Hermione remained silent, "You keep this to yourself and fix our situation, or I will make sure your friend Hagrid gets it."

"You're despicable." Hermione said quietly, her whole body shivering in fury. The long fingers that once belonged to Malfoy had curled into tight fists at her sides, nails digging deep into her palms.

Malfoy scoffed in disdain, "This isn't ideal for me either, Granger. If you hadn't noticed, I'm stuck being a Mudblood."

Hermione opened her mouth for a retort, but at that moment, the sounds of shuffling feet and loud voices passed by the bathroom – class was over. A look of trepidation swept by Malfoy's face and he quickly picked up Hermione's bag to swing it over his shoulders.

"There's Care of Magical Creatures later," Malfoy informed her hurriedly, snatching her wand from her bag and shoving his in her hand, "Take my wand – it will look less conspicuous. The Slytherin common room is under the lake, password is _Basilisk_. And _don't let anyone find out who you really are, or else._" He snarled.

"But –"

"Go already! People are going to wonder what the hell happened to me if I don't show up!" Malfoy scowled at her, "And meet me in the Room of Requirement tonight at midnight._ Alone_."

Hermione picked up the handsome leather bag that belonged to Malfoy and mustered a look of disgust at him, cursing him a million times in her mind, "Fine." She spat angrily and pushed open the door of the bathroom. "But you'll regret this."

"Just go!"

As soon as she stepped outside, anger faded away and the feeling of strangeness overcame. Never had she been this tall. Her legs were a lot longer than she was used to and she felt clumsy and stupid just walking. Her arms were lean and strong, and she wasn't sure how to hold them, so she kept them awkwardly by her sides.

Other lower year students darted their way past her, scurrying out of her way in fear. No doubt had Malfoy hexed them just for fun or amusement before. She tried to issue a reassuring smile, but the terrified second-years ran away even faster.

It took her a long time to find the Slytherin common room. Luckily, Crabbe and Goyle were wondering around stupidly in front of a damp wall. Feeling somewhat anxious, Hermione picked up her pace and walked towards them, hoping that they wouldn't tell that she wasn't Malfoy.

"Um… Shall we go to class?" She suggested weakly in Malfoy's cold voice.

They gaped at her.

"What's with you?" Crabbe frowned.

"Is the Mudblood expelled now?" Goyle asked eagerly, his small beady eyes lighting up at that thought.

Hermione managed a careless shrug that might have passed off as Malfoy's, "I-I'm still working on it."

Goyle's entire face fell, and Hermione had to restrain herself from punching him. How was she supposed to pull off being Malfoy if she despised his "friends"?

At that moment, a doorway in the wall appeared and a few sixth-year Slytherin girls climbed out, Millicent Bulstrode in the lead. She was so wide that it was a while before Hermione saw the pug-faced girl behind her. It was Pansy Parkinson.

"Oh, no." Hermione whimpered.

However pale Hermione was, she still looked like Draco Malfoy to Pansy. She saw Pansy's dull brown eyes sparkle and she ran over and then basically flung herself at her.

Hermione gasped and almost lost her balance under Pansy's weight. She managed to stay upright by seizing a handful of Crabbe's hair.

"Oh, _Draco_," Pansy purred, her hands around Hermione's neck securely, "Where were you?"

"I – Um – I – " Hermione spluttered as she pried Pansy's iron-clad hands away. Pansy's face looked even more unappealing up close, and Hermione didn't care for the love-struck look she was shooting her. "Hospital Wing."

But Pansy took no notice of how unsure Hermione sounded. Beaming, she linked her arm through Hermione's and steered her around, "Are you okay, then? Are you well enough to go to Care of Magical Creatures?"

"Yea, I – I think so." Hermione grimaced and pulled her arm away from Pansy's grasp. She preferred it when Pansy was a bully than a love-sick puppy. The thought of tolerating Pansy Parkinson for the remainder of her Slytherin days made her so uncomfortable that she seriously considered just going to the Headmaster and deal with the Hagrid-and-Grawp situation later when she turned back to herself.

Pansy continued to blab on and on about some kind of gossip, "…And Millicent said she _magicked_ her new owl, can you believe that? She said it was a N.E.W.T.s level spell. It's been bringing her love potions from that stupid Weasley shop."

"Actually, she couldn't have. One of the five principle exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration is the usage of living beings. You can probably conjure an animal temporarily, but to continue using it would be a violation of – " Hermione stopped herself as she suddenly realized she was Draco Malfoy now, and Malfoy probably didn't shower his girlfriend with academic knowledge.

But Pansy disregarded this strangeness again. Instead, her eyes shined with admiration, "Draco, you are so _knowledgeable_." She gushed.

"Er – " Hermione squeaked, unsure of what to say. It seemed like Malfoy could do no wrong in front of Pansy.

The pair advanced towards Hagrid's Hut and Hermione let Pansy gossip on about Daphne Greengrass's fake nose while her mind wandered. She would have to get a message to Harry or Ron, to let them know of the current situation. She didn't trust Malfoy to be civil, and she feared that he would lead them to chaos. Meanwhile, she had to figure out what would reverse the combined spell of Felix Felicis and the Polyjuice Potion. That part would be tricky. Both Felix Felicis and Polyjuice Potion were temporary spells that lasted a very short time. This meant that no antidote was invented for these potions, as the effects were assumed to wear off after a while. Her best chance now would be to ask Slughorn about it, though how she was going to do that while she looked like Malfoy, she didn't know.

Before she knew it, they were walking across the grass, and Pansy had intertwined their fingers. Hermione tried to snatch her hand away, but Pansy's clammy hands seemed to be glued to hers.

From her left, she saw groups of Gryffindors walking down as well. Her heart leapt as she caught sight of Harry, Ron, and a sulking Malfoy behind them. Maybe she would be able to pass on a message to them during class.

"Your wand's fixed now?" She heard Ron say incredulously.

"Yeah, Weas – Ron." Malfoy snapped ill-temperedly. He saw Hermione looking this way and ushered Harry and Ron in the other direction.

When finally all of them reached Hagrid's Hut, he was waiting for them with a huge smile on his face. Next to him stood a large empty cage the size of a small room.

Hermione's heart sank a little lower. She hoped whatever he presented them was safe. She didn't want Malfoy to take advantage of being her and ruin the class.

"Afternoon!" He beamed. Harry and Ron returned a smile, but the fake Hermione that was with them looked at Hagrid with a bored look on her face.

"I though' today we could study some higher rated creatures!" Hagrid said happily, gesturing to the cage, "Can anyone tell me what these are?"

He looked hopefully over towards Malfoy. Hermione felt dread passing through her again. She doubt Malfoy could come up with an answer.

"A cage full of air?" Malfoy asked provokingly.

"Eh?" Hagrid blinked, "Er – no. A-Anyone else?" He asked weakly, looking a little crestfallen that his favorite student did not show any indication of interest or respect.

Pansy snorted silent laughter beside Hermione before shooting her own hand in the air, "What are we looking at an empty cage for?" She demanded loudly. Crabbe and Goyle grunted murmurs of agreement behind her.

Hermione felt anger bubbling inside her again and threw away Pansy's sweaty hand in disgust. She swept back Malfoy's white blond hair from her eyes and put her own hand up instead, "Is it Billywig, Professor?" She asked as politely as she could.

The Slytherins immediately stopped laughing and looked at her with their mouths hanging open. The fact that Draco Malfoy had correctly answered a N.E.W.T.s level question at not just any class, but Care of Magical Creatures, unsettled the crowd. The real Malfoy was fuming too, his face brilliantly pink. Hermione felt an odd sense of satisfaction at Malfoy's expression.

"It is." Mused Hagrid, looking just as surprised as the rest of the Slytherins, "Ten points to Slytherin, I guess."

The short-lived joy vanished immediately. Hermione had forgotten that she was a part of the Slytherins now.

"Anyone know what they do?" Hagrid asked again.

This time, Malfoy put his hand up, "Do they make you a capable teacher instead of an oaf?"

The aftermath was pungent.

Lavender Brown gasped and clasped her hands to her mouth. Harry said, "_Hermione!_" in an accusing voice, and Neville looked like someone had just punched him in the stomach.

"A-Are yeh feelin' alrigh', Hermione?" Hagrid asked. He looked both hurt and confused.

"Peachy." Malfoy snapped back.

Hermione's lower lip trembled with anger at how Malfoy was bullying Hagrid. And he was acting as her, which made things ten times worse. Instead of bursting with rage though, Hermione threw her lean fingers over her eyes and pretended to sob into them.

This act drew more attention than Malfoy's stringent words. People gawked in shock at the sight of Draco Malfoy crying into his hands like a little girl. Even the real Malfoy looked stunned.

Hagrid whirled around blankly and stared at Hermione instead, completely lost now, "What's – What's the matter now?"

"I – I don't want to g – get _stung _by the Billywigs!" Hermione continued to fake cry, "It hurts and I'm scared!" Through her fingers, she could see Malfoy's horrified face. She could just imagine how catastrophic this was to the Malfoy image. Pansy had backed away from her, looking weary, and Crabbe and Goyle both had a look of utter bemusement on their faces.

The whole class was staring at her now, and Hermione couldn't help but reveal a small, secretive smirk behind her fingers. If Malfoy was going to take advantage of being her, she was going to do the same to him.

Crabbe could be Minister of Magic before she let Malfoy bully any of her friends further.

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End file.
